Mom's Back. The Villain Triplets Are in Trouble.

Chapter 197: Chapter 196: How Could I Be Angry at Master?

As Dongfang Ran’s voice faded, the weakening array flared with power once more.

Gu Qingyin and the others were no longer in a hurry to study the array. They all followed the sound to see what was happening.

After walking for a while, Gu Qingyin estimated they were close. She aimed the Soul Mirror forward, and its golden-red light forced the gloom back, clearing a space.

Not far away, Chen Ling and Dongfang Ran were slumped on the ground, looking half-dead. Their hands were still gripping the talisman rope tightly.

Chen Ling stared blankly into the void, her face a mask of despair. Dongfang Ran, however, was glaring at Chen Ling, her expression so fierce it was as if she wanted to drink her blood and eat her flesh.

Gu Qingyin stepped forward and sized them up. ”What’s all this? Did the alliance fall apart?”

Chen Ling didn’t move. Dongfang Ran shuddered, her gaze shifting to Gu Qingyin and Huo Yunjing. After a long moment, she sighed, her emotions complex. ”In the end, I still can’t compare to you.”

Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow. ”When we were kids, I told you not to be so envious of what other people have, and you thought I was trying to hurt you. I thought you were nuts and didn’t want to hang out with you anymore, and you thought I was afraid you’d surpass me. I got annoyed and fought with you, and you thought I was jealous of your success.”

Gu Qingyin shook her head. ”With a brain like yours, you and Chen Ling are two of a kind.”

Dongfang Ran gave a bitter smile. ”I could never understand how you ended up with all the good fortune.”

”When we were children, who wasn’t envious that you were Gu Ziqian’s disciple? He was gentle, powerful, and handsome—the master everyone dreamed of. And your talent was so heaven-defyingly good, it just made people even more jealous. I was just the most obvious about it.”

Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but add, ”And you were also the most obsessed.”

Dongfang Ran paused, then admitted with a sigh, ”Yes, I was too obsessed. So obsessed that even after you disappeared, I kept monitoring everything related to you. I watched your sons grow up, little by little. I watched Huo Yunjing gradually lose his spirit because he couldn’t find you, and then die in an accident.”

Gu Qingyin’s brow twitched. Even though they had already talked it over, hearing once again that Huo Yunjing had spent ten years searching the world for her, only to die from grief and exhaustion, still made her ache with sorrow.

Huo Yunjing said nothing, simply squeezing her hand in silent support.

Seeing this, Dongfang Ran chuckled and continued, ”And your master. After you disappeared, he raised hell at the Mystic Association. He was on the verge of becoming a Ghost Immortal, but to vent his anger on your behalf, he had his qualifications revoked by the Underworld. Now, who knows if he’s even been reincarnated.”

Gu Qingyin hadn’t known about this, and she frowned deeply as she listened.

”It’s just so infuriatingly unfair. As a child, you were doted on by your master. The moment you left the mountain, you met your true love. You disappear for twenty years and still get to reunite with your family. How did you get to have all the good things in life?”

Dongfang Ran stared at Gu Qingyin. ”If I don’t compare myself to you, who else is there?”

Gu Qingyin frowned, completely baffled. ”Why do you have to compare yourself to others? If you’re so determined to compete, why not compete with the person you were yesterday? Isn’t it enough to be better today than you were the day before?”

Dongfang Ran shook her head. ”If I were capable of listening to your grand principles, I wouldn’t have ended up in this state.”

Her face grew even paler. Looking closely, she seemed to have gotten thinner than before.

”Gu Qingyin,” Dongfang Ran said with sincerity, ”In our next life, let’s not meet again.”

The moment she finished speaking, Dongfang Ran’s head lolled to the side, and she stopped breathing.

It was so sudden. Not just Gu Qingyin, but the others were also caught off guard. ’How could she just die in the middle of a conversation?’

But her death wasn’t the end of it. Dongfang Ran’s cheeks began to sink, the change visible to the naked eye.

Gu Qingyin’s eyes sharpened. She strode forward and kicked Dongfang Ran’s hand away from the talisman rope.

The talisman rope had been devouring her Spiritual Power. Once the Spiritual Power in her Dantian was gone, it had started consuming her flesh and blood. If her hand hadn’t been freed, she would have turned into a dried-up corpse in moments.

This array was truly wicked.

Gu Qingyin looked at Chen Ling. ”Where did you buy this array?”

Chen Ling’s eyes trembled, but she said nothing.

Gu Qingyin’s expression was blank. ”You don’t want to talk? Fine. Then we’ll take you back to the Mystic Association and let the punishment elders question you.”

She drew her Fire Burning Stick, intending to pry Chen Ling’s hand open, but with a flick, she found she couldn’t move it.

Chen Ling couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. ”It’s useless. Unless I die like Dongfang Ran, the array won’t let me go.”

Gu Qingyin gave her an odd look, put away the Fire Burning Stick, and took out a long blade. ”If it won’t let go,” she said coolly, ”we’ll just cut it off.”

Chen Ling’s eyes widened in terror. ”You’re insane!”

Gu Qingyin ignored her. She ran her left hand along the blade, and small flames instantly flickered to life on its edge.

’I need to heat the blade. That way, when I cut, the wound will be cauterized, stopping the bleeding instantly.’

Chen Ling was terrified. She couldn’t escape even if she wanted to and could only look helplessly at Liu Ergou and the others. ”Are you just going to stand there and watch? Aren’t you righteous Heavenly Masters?! She’s going to cut off my hand!”

Liu Ergou stroked his beard. ”She’s doing this for your own good.”

Miao Yan nodded in agreement. ”We can’t just watch you get sucked dry into a corpse, can we?” After a pause, he added, ”If you can’t accept my idol doing it, I can do it for you.”

Chen Ling gasped for breath, nearly fainting. ”I... I’m going to report you all!”

Gu Qingyin stepped forward, blade in hand, and sighed. ”Desperate times call for desperate measures. My apologies.”

With that, her hand rose and fell!

Chen Ling screamed and collapsed, clutching her severed wrist, her forehead beaded with sweat. A moment later, she passed out.

She was already nearly drained by the array, and the excruciating pain was more than she could bear.

”Miao Yan.” A gentle smile appeared on Gu Qingyin’s face. ”Could you please take her with you? She’s unconscious and defenseless. If we leave her here while we study the array, she might not be breathing when we get back.”

Miao Yan puffed out his chest. ”No problem!” He then walked over and hoisted Chen Ling onto his shoulder.

As for Dongfang Ran, Gu Qingyin found a piece of cloth, wrapped up the body, and handed it to Elder Miao.

Protected by the Soul Mirror, the group continued to study the array until its energy was completely depleted. Even then, they stood there, lost in thought.

About ten minutes later, Gu Qingyin was the first to snap out of it. She took out her blade and, with a few swift cuts—SHINK SHINK SHINK—dismantled the array.

”Let’s take this back and investigate. We should be able to find the source.”

Liu Ergou stepped forward and collected the pieces.

Elder Miao looked left and right, a seed of dissatisfaction and confusion growing in his heart. ’This team... when did Gu Qingyin become the leader?’

The pursuit was over, and the group began their journey back. They stopped for another night in the small town from before. The next afternoon, they returned to Yun City, had a big meal, and then went to the Mystic Association that evening to submit their report on the commission.

Tuoba Yan settled the Fate Fee with them on the spot, and with that, the commission was officially complete.

As for the subsequent investigation into the array, that was a matter that no longer required Special-level Heavenly Masters like them.

Gu Qingyin and Huo Yunjing returned home and headed straight for the room upstairs.

”Master!”

Gu Ziqian materialized, his smile devastatingly handsome. ”What’s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?”

Gu Qingyin’s breath caught. ’Master is so handsome,’ she thought. ’How could I possibly be angry with him?’